Wekiva Island Archives - On the Go in MCO

Wekiva Paint Out Celebrates 17th Year

The Wekiva Paint Out returns for its 17^th year, bringing world-class artists from around the country to Wekiva Island and Wekiwa Springs State Park for a week of plein-air painting inspired by the natural Florida surroundings from February 27 to March 4, 2023.

The event raises money for the Wekiva Wilderness Trust and Keep Seminole Beautiful to help keep the river clean, protect it, and make it a place future generations can enjoy.

“There’s nothing like the Wekiva Paint Out,” said Mary Weinaug, the event’s organizer and Executive Director of Keep Seminole Beautiful. “The surroundings are already stunning, but to see what these incredible artists create and capture here brings it to another level. You truly have to see it with your own eyes.”

Visitors can do just that around Wekiva Island, the state park and the river during the week, as they can stop by to watch artists work. They can also see completed works at the gallery at Wekiva Island, all of which are for purchase. They can even buy work straight from the easel. In addition, the Wekiva Paint

2023 Wekiva Paint Out Highlights

Live Auction—7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 1. Bids will fly as an auctioneer leads the live auction for pieces from each artist. The energy is electric, and bidders might even get a deal on an original piece of art.

Nocturne and Pasta Bar—5 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 3. Guests can tour the full gallery and grab a bite at Without a Paddle Café’s build-your-own-pasta bar night at Wekiva Island for $14.95. Artists will also be working around the Island to capture the evening scene.

Amateur Quick Draw competition—Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 4. Paint with the pros and potentially win! Amateurs can enter to compete for cash prizes for $30/per person.

All-Inclusive Gala—See what the artists have created all week and celebrate with food, live music, and beer/wine for $50/per person or $90/per couple.

The first Wekiva Paint Out was held in 2007. Wekiva Island became the host in 2009 after Bill Weinaug purchased the property. The event combines Wekiva Island’s core tenets: Art and Sustainability.

For more information, a full schedule and tickets to special events, visit their official website.

Otter Fest Craft Beer Festival 2023 at Wekiva Island

Otter Fest Craft Beer Festival Returns to Wekiva Island 2023

If you live in Central Florida and love craft beer, there’s only one place to be on January 21: Wekiva Island’s Otter Fest.

Attendees at this celebration of craft beer can sample more than 50 beers from 18 featured breweries, all while soaking in the natural Florida scene riverside.

The event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, January 21, 2023. Those with VIP tickets can enter an hour early at 1 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older.

Tickets are $30 for general admission and $40 for VIP. They are available here.

This is the fifth year for the favorite event. In addition to generous pours, breweries will also have swag and freebies.

Plus, Wekiva Island’s food truck, Without a Paddle Café, will serve its full menu and a few specials meant to pair with the beer selections.

“At Wekiva Island, we pride ourselves on offering a wide variety of craft beers, including unique options and selections from local breweries,” said Carrie Vanderhoef, Wekiva Island manager. “This year will offer attendees so many beers to sip. It’s a super fun day and a great value for beer lovers.”

Participating breweries include:

3 Daughters Brewing CompanyArmed Forces BrewingAncient City Bold Rock Blue Springs Brewing CompanyCentral 28 Beer CompanyHyderhead BreweryNütrl Vodka SeltzerOrmond Brewing

Sanford Brewing CompanyShipyard & Sea Dog BrewingSouthern Tier Brewing CompanySweetwater Brewing CompanyTampa Bay Brewing CompanyThree Odd Guys BrewingVictory Brewing CompanyWicked Weed Brewing CompanyWoodchuck Ciders

For more information, visit www.wekivaisland.com.

Wekiva Island Winter Wonderland 2020

Wekiva Island will be hosting its beloved Winter Wonderland celebration from December 1 to January 1. In its fifth year, the event will be adjusted for the “elf” and safety of guests and staff—but it will still bring the holiday cheer with daily “snow” flurries, thousands of lights, festive décor, and plenty of events for the whole family.

To officially kick off the event, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at 7 p.m. December 4, bringing the first “snow” of the 2020 holiday season with them.

“We’ve put a lot of thought and hard work into making sure this event is as safe as possible for all of our guests,” said Carrie Vanderhoef, manager. “This is always a favorite event, and we’re happy to be able to keep the holiday spirit alive this season.”

Guests will have plenty of opportunities to soak in that spirit and capture the perfect holiday photo on the Island.

This year’s Winter Wonderland will feature a breathtaking Christmas tree forest full of decorated trees that will serve as the perfect backdrop.

The schoolhouse will be made up to look like a giant gingerbread house, and “snow” flurries will fall nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. and 12 to 9 p.m. on weekends.

Guests can also take a “sleigh” ride down the river for $20 for adults and $10 for children on Saturdays and Sundays.

Families looking for the Santa experience with the kids also won’t be disappointed. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will make a socially distanced appearance for photos on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

This year, rather than sitting on Santa’s lap, guests are encouraged to leave letters for Santa in a special mailbox or via email. These letters will be read live at 7 p.m. every Tuesday on Wekiva Island’s Facebook.

Winter Wonderland features many socially distanced holiday activities for children of all ages to enjoy:

Breakfast with Santa – Enjoy the most important meal of the day with Jolly Old St. Nick himself! Bring the entire family for the chance to take socially distanced photos with Santa while enjoying a delicious plate of breakfast eats. 9 a.m. to noon on December 13 with ticketed seating by the hour. $12.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 10 and younger.
VIP Winter Wonderland Party – Get the VIP treatment at the Island’s exclusive ticketholder-only holiday party. Enjoy craft beer and wine, gourmet small plates, live music and more from 7 to 11 p.m. on December 19. $50 per person, $90 for couples.
Holiday movies – Bring the whole family out to watch holiday classics at the Island! Bring your own lawn chair to social distance in style while enjoying the popcorn and hot cocoa available to purchase. 7 p.m. Sundays starting December 6.
Cocoa, stories & cookies with Mrs. Claus – Spend some time with Mrs. Claus and enjoy some tasty treats! This event is limited to the first 20 children in person but will also take place virtually. Reservations required. 6 p.m. December 10 and 17. $10 per child.
Reindeer feed box workshop – Join Santa and Mrs. Claus to learn how to make reindeer feed from the pros. For $10 a child, guests will receive all necessary ingredients to make the feed, a keepsake box and a cup of hot cocoa. If parents prefer a virtual experience, boxes can be purchased from The Tooting Otter General Store for $10. 6 to 8 p.m. December 14.
New Year’s Day Brunch – Ring in the New Year with a delicious brunch and river views on January 1.

To give back to the community, Wekiva Island will be filling canoes with toys to donate to Toys for Tots starting November 27. Marines will visit from 1 to 5 p.m. December 12 to collect the toys.

Wekiva Island also offers gift options at its General Store, and those who purchase a $100 gift card receive a $20 gift card free. The Island offers free gift wrapping on ALL gifts, even those not purchased there, so guests can kick back and enjoy a relaxing beverage while the Island elves do the hard work.

Winter Wonderland is open to the public. There is a $2 admission fee. A full calendar of daily events is available here. Tickets can be purchased for select events h e re.

Wekiva Island is requiring masks for guests at the entrance and whenever they are outside the boundaries of their small, socially distanced group. Temperature checks are required at the gate.

For more information, visit wekivaisland.com or call 407-862-1500.

7th Annual Wekiva Paintout

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

ARTIST’S PAINTING DAILY!

Sunday – March 3, 2013
Artist arriving

Monday – March 4, 2013
Gallery Open 5pm to 9pm

Tuesday – March 5, 2013
Gallery Open 11am to 10pm

Wednesday – March 6, 2013
Gallery Open 11am to 10pm
Art Auction at 8pm, preview begins at 7pm

Thursday – March 7, 2013
Gallery Open 11am to 10pm

Friday – March 8, 2013
Gallery Open 10am to 11pm with live music
Food Truck Dining at Wekiva Island
Sunset Paint In (6:20PM sunset)
Crescent moon Paint In after dark

Saturday – March 9, 2013
Gallery open 10am to 4pm
QUICK DRAW 12 – 2pm
Private Patron reception 6-7pm
GALA at Wekiva Island at 7pm with Music, Beer/Wine, and Food.

*Purchase Gala tickets by clicking here for $25 each

Sunday – March 10, 2013
Artists departing

*schedule subject to change

www.wekivapaintout.com